UN inquiry says Russian energy attacks in Ukraine amount to war crimes

A UN-backed inquiry found Russia deliberately attacked Ukraine's energy infrastructure and coerced foreign men into military service. The findings classify the strikes as international crimes and highlight deceptive recruitment across 29 countries.Image used for representational purposes onlyUnitednations,Oct 27, 2026 16:22 ISTRussia committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine by deliberately attacking energy infrastructure and leaving millions of people without electricity and heating in freezing conditions, a United Nations-backed inquiry has found, according to news agency Press Trust of India.The inquiry also found evidence that Russia recruited men from 29 countries, including India, into its armed forces through deception or coercion to fight in Ukraine, in violation of international law.The independent commission of inquiry was authorised by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Its report to the UN General Assembly's human rights committee on Monday was its first and focused on the impact of Russia's extensive attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.According to the report, power cuts forced millions of civilians to endure dark and freezing winters. Elderly people were left without lifts to reach shelters during missile and drone attacks, while hospital patients were deprived of critical life-support equipment. Commission chair Erik Mose said at a UN news conference, speaking by video, that the attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure amounted to war crimes because they were deliberately directed at civilian facilities. They also constituted crimes against humanity for "inflicting great suffering to civilians", he said.Mose, a former Norwegian judge, said the intensifying attacks ahead of winter raised serious concerns about the threats to civilians. The commission said its findings were based on accounts from 255 Ukrainians who endured winter conditions in Kyiv and eight other regions in 2025-26, as well as information from government officials, doctors and civic organisations.Mose said Russia had not responded to requests for comment on any of the commission's reports, including the latest one, Press Trust of India reported.Russia's mission to the UN said on Monday that the country did not recognise the commission's mandate and claimed that its findings were based on "falsified data".Throughout the war, Russia has maintained that its forces strike only military or military-related targets in Ukraine, or sites used in the interests of the Ukrainian armed forces, despite multiple reports and evidence indicating otherwise.Russian authorities have openly recruited foreigners into the military, offering benefits such as faster Russian citizenship or making enlistment mandatory for some foreigners seeking permanent residency in the country. Official statements have generally maintained that such enlistment is voluntary.The commission's report, however, said men were recruited through deception and coercion in coordination with agents operating in other countries. These agents presented themselves as legitimate businesses endorsed by governments.The agents arranged visas and sometimes travelled with the men. Soon after arriving in Russia, the recruits were forced to sign documents in Russian with the Defence Ministry that they did not understand, the commission said."The recruits were shocked to discover that they would be serving for the Russian armed forces," the report said.The commission investigated the recruitment of nationals from 48 countries and found evidence that men from 29 countries had been recruited into Russia's armed forces through deception or coercion. They were from Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Botswana, Cameroon, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ghana, Honduras, India, Jordan, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Yemen and Zimbabwe.The UN-backed inquiry concluded that Russia's attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure caused severe civilian suffering and amounted to war crimes and crimes against humanity. It also documented the alleged deceptive or coercive recruitment of men from 29 countries into the Russian military.With PTI Inputs- Ends